United Parcel Service, commonly referred to as UPS, is a global freight company with a revenue of $53.1 billion in 2011. [1] In 2010 the company's revenues were $42.6 billion [2] and its CEO, D. Scott Davis, received compensation of $10.73 million that same year.[3] UPS was founded in "1907 as a messenger company in the United States."[4]

This article is part of the Center for Media and Democracy's investigation of Pete Peterson's Campaign to "Fix the Debt." Please visit our main SourceWatch page on Fix the Debt.

About Fix the Debt

The Campaign to Fix the Debt is the latest incarnation of a decades-long effort by former Nixon man turned Wall Street billionaire Pete Peterson to slash earned benefit programs such as Social Security and Medicare under the guise of fixing the nation's "debt problem." Through a special report and new interactive wiki resource, the Center for Media and Democracy -- in partnership with the Nation magazine -- exposes the funding, the leaders, the partner groups, and the phony state "chapters" of this astroturf supergroup. Learn more at PetersonPyramid.org and in the Nation magazine.

ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our PRWatch.org site.

UPS and "Free Trade"

In March 2005 the CEO of UPS, Mike Eskew claimed that "one could argue that we in the business community have not done a very good job framing and promoting the benefits of international trade." [6] "American business interests are at risk of losing a significant battle. We’re losing the battle here in the U.S. and abroad. The small, but vocal anti-globalization movement has pushed its message forward with great force and tenacity in recent years," he said in a speech at the Commerce Club in Georgia.

"As business leaders and advocates, we don't have much direct control over how issues are framed in political debates. But I do believe we can control and turn around the bruised reputation of globalization. We have the power to do that. And we have the responsibility to do that," he said.

"We can recite trade facts until we’re blue in the face," he said ".... But if you have lost a job these facts mean nothing. In fact, we really can't talk about trade liberalization without, in the same breath, talking about programs that help those who have been displaced or who are threatened to be displaced. We have a responsibility to help those displaced workers get the training they need to re-enter the workforce."

"We need to understand that in foreign affairs, corporate diplomacy is as important as political diplomacy ... The growing wave of anti-Americanism abroad is a significant concern for U.S. businesses," he said. "Many in the world have been upset for quite some time over what they perceive as an invasion of American culture and values and bad corporate behavior," says Eskew. "We’ve seen a significant slide in American business's favorability around the world, and in a short time frame."

Political contributions

In 2010, UPS gave a total of over $2 million to federal candidates: $1.1 million to Republicans and $898,505 to Democrats. This amount was split between their PAC and individual donations: $2,031,348 in PAC donations and $28,036 in individual donations.[10]

In July 2010, CEO Scott Davis was named to President Obama's Export Council. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the council is "an advisory committee on global trade, the council advises on government policies and programs that affect U.S. trade performance. The council also provides a forum to resolve trade-related problems among businesses and industry, agriculture, labor and government."[11]